From The Kill Pen

I learned a lot from this documentary. I heard things from local & internet news about a few BIG CHAIN companies using horse meat in place of beef or along with beef. Upon watching this, I learned that it was a bigger problem than I ever imagined. It shows how they are betrayed to become property off these killing houses, to the way they're killed, & what becomes of after they're sliced into pieces of meat for humans to consume. Which may i add, It's not considered safe for human consumption weather raised or wild. It's devastating to me! I see it no different than chopping up cats, dogs, & other pets we value. This doc obtains opinions from both sides of the issue. It's very informative & brutal with the facts. I am glad I watched it although I do not feel that I can avoid this issue. It's that moving. It leaves me wondering if I can do anything, what I can do about it or if it'll even matter if do. My heart breaks for those animals. They are much more valuable alive in my opinion & deserve to die in other ways than ending up in a plate from a meat market. The very thing that helped man build this country to what it is today, has became nothing more than a piece of meat leaving dollar signs in the eyes off the beholder. This is wrong on so many levels. I hope the United States bans this kind of treatment & activity. Look to Green ways of living instead of finding new sources of meat. Whatever happened to moral & value? This doc shows what laws have passed, have been to pass, & what's hoped for the future. If you wish to learn a little about the history & what's to expect in the future of the lives for these animals, I suggest watching this. I had no idea, just like most of the others as stated in the documentary. It's definitely worth watching to at least learn about what's happening to the animals. Read more

This is a well made documentary on an interesting topic. I appreciated the differing points of view that were presented, and felt that made for a more balanced movie than I was expecting. I was expecting to watch a movie preaching a message about the poor horses, save the horses, never kill horses... but it wasn't so. The factual background and undercover footage were interesting and not gory. I thought the ideas concerning the regulation horse meat to make it safer for human consumption were thoughtful and hope this film helps the overall cause. Read more

As a horse-lover, and rider of a kill pen rescue, I have some bias to supporting the anti-slaughter movement, but this doc deserves 5 stars. It presented both sides’ arguments and is a great tool to inform the general public what is going on in the horse industry. I do think that there was bias towards the anti slaughter side, but it is hard to show support for the other side with the imagery presented. If you care about animals, please watch this documentary. I am so thankful, Kona, my riding companion, was able to be saved from that terrible fate. Read more

This documentary was pretty well done, although I felt it did not present both sides of the argument equally. The majority of interview time was granted to anti-slaughter proponents who seemed to be shaming anyone in favor of horse processing on grounds of morality. The segments about how a lot of horses end up in the "kill pen" and where they go from there were very informative. I do understand concerns about the potential for drugs in horse meat and would really like to see studies or data of any ill-effects in consumers. Read more

I was once an advocate for slaught of horses and even decided to write a college paper supporting it. While doing research for horse slaughter I found the truths and horror behind it. The things these horses go through being processed is horrendous, sadly most people know nothing of it. This film touches the surfaces of some these issues without getting into too many gory details. It is nicely presented with people from both sides leaving you to make your own choice. One thing that will always stay with me from my reasearch, that this film touched on, is that Americans ARE being fed horse meat unknowingly. Unless you know where your meat is coming from you can NOT find out if there is any other byproducts in that meat, such as horse meat. With being a part of the horse community my entire life, I have never seen a horse that hasn't been given some kind of drug, whether an NSAID or deworming meds.... something. There has no reasearch to see how humans are effected by the indigestion of these medications. What I didn't like about the film is that it didn't cover what happened to these horses once they crossed the boarders. They never touched on what the conditions were like in Canada and Mexico and HOW they are processed. It's possible that was intentional, I don't imagine people would like to hear about it. Read more

I was lucky enough to grow up in the country and raise animals. Animals reach their end of life. That is a fact. I am convinced that animal rights activists want these animals to suffer, lay down, then suffer for hours or days before they pass. The truth is, most animal activists have never had to deal with animals, it's all an emotional thing for them. Horses should be dispatched close to where they live, because shipping increases their stress. They need to be put down in a humane way. We have the knowledge to do this, the animal never knows what happens. Animal activists condemn these animals to be shipped long distance to where their slaughter is legal, and more than likely not humane. Read more

Very informative doc about horse slaughter and trafficking. I never knew and was quite shocked to learn some of the facts behind this inhumane treatment and the food industry. Will certainly make me think twice. Very well done indeed. Read more